Folding crate.



CLARENCE @BERLIN OLLUM AND OTH() HICKMAN, F HUNTINGTN, WEST Vfl-EGNEA.

FOLD'NG CRATE.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented @et 22, 1918.

Application led May 24, 1917. ySerial No. 170,689.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CLARENCE OBEnLiN OLLoM and OrHo HionMAN, citizensof the United States, residing at Huntington, in the county of Cabell,State of l/Vest Virginia, have invented a new and useful Folding Crate;and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled intheart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to certain new improvements in collapsiblecrates, and has for its object to provide a device of this characterwhich embodies novel features of construction whereby it can be filledto its capacity when originally shipped and then collapsed for return tothe shipper, thereby reducing to a minimum transportation charges forthe return of the crate and enabling the crate to be used repeatedly.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a collapsible cratewhich is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its c0nstruction, whichcan be quickly extended into operative position or collapsed into asmall amount of space, which provides a rigid crate which can be safelyused in handling fragile articles such as eggs, and which will withstandthe rough handling to which such devices are ordinarily subjected whenin use.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is afront elevation of a folding crate constructed in accordance with theinvention, showing the same in an extended position. i

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a detail vperspective view of the crate with the sides thereofunfolded preparatory to collapsing thesame.

Fig. 4- is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional View through thecrate in a collapsed condition.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, the numeral l designates a shallow tray shaped base which isordinarily of just a sufficient depth to admit of the usual fillers orpartitions 2 being packed therein when the crate is collapsed. Thesefillers may be of the kind usually employed in packing eggs, and may beformed of sheet metal or any other suitable material. The rear side ofthe shallow-base l is preferably extended slightly above the front andends of the base, as indicated at la.

The ends 3 of the crate are loosely connected at their lower edges tothe corresponding ends of the shallow base 1 by means of comparativelynarrow and centrally disposed hinges 4. These ends 3 are formed of sheetmetal, and the vertical edges thereof are returned inwardly and thenbent outwardly to provide channels 5 which extend the full length of thesaid vertical edges. The front 6 of the crate has the lower edge thereofloosely connected by a pair of hinges 7 to the front of the base l, andthe vertical edges of the front are formed with inwardly projectingflanges 8 adapted to fit within the before mentioned channels of theends .3 when the crate is set up for packing purposes. These end flanges8 of the front 6 are cut-away at their middle portion as indicated at 8Lin order that they may clear the hinges t of the crate ends 3 when thecrate is folded. In folding the crate the ends 3 are first swunginwardly and the front G then folded inwardly against the said ends, theflanges S fitting between the lower edges of the ends 3 and the ends ofthe base l and the hinges 4 of the ends being received within thecut-away portions 8a of the said flanges. The back 9 is looselyconnected by a pair of hinges 10 to the upper edge of the extension laat the rear side of the base l, the ends of the back being formed withflanges l1 which correspond to the flanges 8 of the front, and aredesigned to be received within the rear channels 5 of the ends 3 whenthe crate is assembled for use.

The top 1:2 is permanently connected b v hinges 13 to the upper edge ofthe back 9, and is formed with side flanges 14rand a front flange 15.These flanges 14 and 15 fit around the sides and front of the crate whenthe crate is set up in position for packing and the cover is closed. Apair of cut-away llt) portions 16 are provided inthe front flange 15toward opposite ends thereof, said cutaway portions being positioned tocorrespond to the position of the hinges 10 at the lower edge of theback 9. The middle portion of the front flange 15 is resilient and isslotted at 17 to form a latch member adapted to spring over a lug 18 atthe upper edge of the front 6 when the cover is closed. In collapsingt-lie crate, the cover or top 12 is folded tightly against the innerface of the hack 9 with the side flanges thereof eiiibrac ing the edgesof the back 9, and the front flange 15 thereof inserted between thelower edge of the back and the rear side of the base 1, the hinges 10 atthe lower edge of the back being received within the cut-away portions16. The top 12 and back J are next folded over against the front (l,which has previously been collapsed against the inwardly folded ends 3,as previously described; The slight extension 1a at the rear of the base1 compensates for the combined thickness of the top 12 and back 9 andenables these lnenibers to be folded flat against the front 6. Theslotted portion 17 of the flange 15 of the top 12 then projects upwardlyfrom one side of the collapsed crate and, if desired, this may beutilized to receive a strap or cord 19 for holding the crate in acollapsed condition. The rear edge of the top 12 is also shown asprovided with a locking ear 2O which fits against the front of the base1 when the crate isy collapsed, and which may be secured thereto by somesuitable fastening member 21.

This construction admits of the crate being quickly collapsed or set upin position for packing, and when the crate is in use the end flanges 8of the front and the corresponding flanges 11 of the back fit tightlywithin the channels 5 of the ends 3 to provide a rigid constructionIwhich locks the parts securely together and enables the crate to beused with safety for the packing of eggs or fragile articles. Then thecrate is collapsed the fillers or partitions 3 will be re' ceived withinthe shallow base 1, and everything will be folded into a small amount ofspace so thatthe crate can be returned to the shipper at a. very slightexpense.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A folding crate including a shallow box shaped base, ends connectedto the ends of the base by narrow centrally arranged hinges and foldableinwardly. the vertical edges of the ends beingformed with outwardlyfacing channels, a front hinged to the front of the base and providedwith end flanges adapted to be received within the correspondingchannels ofthe ends when the crate is extended, said flanges fittingbetween the lower edges of the ends and the base when the crate isfolded and being cut away at their middle portions to clear the hingesof the ends, and a back hingedly connected to the back of the base andformed with end flanges adapted to be received wit-hin the correspondingchannelsof the ends when the crate is extended, said back being foldableover the front when the crate is collapsed.

2. A folding crate including a shallow box shaped base having an upwardextension at the rear side thereof, ends hingedly connected to the endsof the base and foldable inwardly, a front hingedly connected to thefiont of the base and foldable inwardly upon the ends, a back connectedby spaced hinges to the rear extension of the base, and a cover hingedlyconnected to the upper edge of the back and formed with a front flangefitting around the front of the crate when the latter is extended andreceived between the lower edge of the back and the extension of thebase when the cover is folded against the inner face of the back tocollapse the crate, said flange being cutaway to provide a clearancespace for the hinges between the back and the extension of the base.

3. A folding crate including a shallow box shaped base having an upwardeXtension at the rear thereof, ends hingedly connected to the ends ofthe base and foldable inwardly, a front hingedly connected to the frontof the base and adapted to be folded over the collapsed ends, theswinging edge of the front being formed with an outstanding lug, a backconnected to the rear extension of the base by spaced hinges, a coverhingedly connected to the upper edge of the back and collapsible againstthe inner face 105 thereof when the crate is folded, said cover beingformed with a front flange which fits around the front of the crate whenthe crate is extended, and which is received between the lower edge ofthe back and the rear ex- 110 tension of the base when the crate isfolded, said flange being provided with cut-away portions to clear thehinges and being slotted to form a latch for engagement with the beforementioned lug projecting from 115 `the front when the crate is extended,and

a strap extending around the collapsed crate and passing through theslotted portion of the flange to hold the crate in a folded condition.

4. A folding crate including a shallow box shaped base having an upwardextension at the rear thereof, ends connected to the ends of the base bynarrow centrally arranged hinges and collapsible inwardly, said endsbeing provided at their vertical edges with outwardly facing channelswhich extend throughout the length of the said vertical edges, a fronthinged to the front of the base and provided with end flanges adapted tofit Within corresponding channels of the ends when the crate isextended, said front being foldable over the ends when the crate iscollapsed and the side flanges thereof then fitting between theloweredges of the ends and the ends of the crate, said flanges beingl ed toengage the corresponding channels of the ends When the crate isextended, and a cover hingedly connected t0 the back and formed with afront flange adapted to fit around the front of the crate when 'thecrate is extended said cover t being foldable against the inner face ofthe back with the front flange thereof received between the lower edgeof the back and the rear extension of the base when the crate iscollapsed, said front flange of the cover being provided withfcut-awayportions to clear the hinges at the bottom of the back, and the upwardextension at the rear of the base compensating for the combinedthickness of the cover and back so that they can fold tightly againstthe front when the crate is collapsed.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CLARENCE OBERLIN OLLOM.

OTHO HICKMAN. i Witnesses:

J. W. HARMAN,

K. M. MEADOWS.

